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Has anyone purchased a Dell computer lately
I purchased a new Dell computer toward the end of January and am so frustrated, don't know how to deal with it.
My problems began when I purchased it in January and with my busy workload didn't get to set it up for about a month. (Your get about 28 days that it can be returned) I had my other engineer load my AutoCad and other office software and get my internet links for several business websites up and running. He had it all set and ready to go, all we needed to do was plug in the printers and engineering plotter.
Wouldn't have guessed that Dell decided that we don't need parallel printer outputs anymore. They have USB's but that is all. Every computer that I've ever seen has parallel outputs. I called and told them to send me one and they wouldn't. They have this automated answering service and you can talk to Tech Support from someplace in India I guess. If you hang up and call at various hours of the day and night you may get someone that can atleast speak some English. After a couple weeks of hassling with them I got one installed on my own. Some techs originally told me that my printers are outdated and should just buy new ones. Ya, right, a new engineering plotter printing color and 36" wide paper is several thousand dollars. Another Techie told me the mother board wouldn't accept a parallel card. Another Techie told me to just buy a USB to parallel conversion cord. Nobody stocks one of those in any of the computer box stores. Was also told that a USB signal is weaker and won't drive a signal 20 feet like I need. I share plotters and printers with my other engineer.
Now my e-mail don't work and it won't recognize my addresses and passwords. The McAfee Security Center can't be uninstalled nor will it turn off. If you reboot or turn off your computer at night, it turns everything back on. The security is so high it won't let me talk with my customers sending me drawing files, etc.
So then, I decide to reload my Outlook Express. Dell doesn't give you your CD's anymore either. If you need them you are supposed to go to "Support.dell.com/pcrt" How are you going to do that if everything on line is screwed up and you can't receive e-mails.
The only guy that is willing to help me (I've talked to dozens of people) works from 10am-7pm central time. So, I'm going to miss most of the day again. He wants to possibly send me a new hard drive. Do these guys ever get it that I may have a business to run and need my computer now! Do they understand that I've spent several days loading all that software and getting all my menus, drivers, files on this piece of crap!
The computer itself cost just under $800.00 and it looks like I need to throw it away and get one that works. I am told that I can dispute the charge on my charge card. Maybe that way I can finally get their attention.
I've always had Dell's without any trouble and generally purchase one every couple of years on my own charge card either for me or the business (for myself, my other engineer or my daughter).
I've heard that I'm not alone with problems lately with Dell's and their service is terrible since you can't get hold of anyone. I have on-site service for one year but they will never send anyone.
Today I'm going to tell them they have until tomorrow 11am to get me a service man at my doorstep or a new computer at my door. Will see how that works!
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Has anyone purchased a Dell computer lately
Wingwiper
1. Staples, OfficeMax, Best Buy, Circuit City and others do not carry that conversation adapter in any stores. You can special order it or get it from an on-line retailer. They recommend that you also buy a booster. I bought the actual card for about $39.99 and installed it. That part of it now works but at my cost of $39.99 that should have been on it to begin with.
2. If you go to uninstall as you stated, McAfee does not appear there.
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Has anyone purchased a Dell computer lately
Wingwiper:
There are some free utilities that can be used. Right now, McAfee has control of my computer. There is no way to uninstall it unless you erase files. That is bad because as you have said it may take something important with it.
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Has anyone purchased a Dell computer lately
I'm told that USB ports are bad for massive data transmission as in hugh engineering files going to plot mode, especially if they are driven a distance.
I could have linked my computer to the other engineer's and we could share the printers and plotters through our network. I'd have to turn his on in his absence and also go without when the network drops out. All my cables are hung and have been for years.
If you look at any computer sold in the U.S. today, you will find all have a parallel port except Dell.
Dell asks you if you want a 3 1/2" drive or any other accessory. Why don't they ask if you want parallel? I'm sure they dropped it to cut costs like not giving you your CD's or force you into a new printer. They give you a power cord which I don't need since I've gone through lots of computer over the years. They give you a free "AOL" Cd and also load wordperfect and some other useless stuff.
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Has anyone purchased a Dell computer lately
I've gotten over the issue of the plotter/printers by purchasing the parallel output card. The point I was trying to make was that in my opinion it should have come on the computer like everyone elses product.
Yes I could use the ethernet connection to print but don't want to for my own reasons and maybe for my stubbornness.
I got something today from Dell via Airborne, don't have a clue what a roxio creator CD is. Also got a return label and a packing slip with no directions on what to do with the CD. They are expecting me to send something back but don't know what and it is supposed to go back in the same container as this CD. I think the entire computer is going back in a big box.
I think it is kinda cute that Dell sends out these packing slips with a canned program note telling you that these are licensed commodities and should only be used as intended and only to ship to the ultimate desination. They mispelled destination! Maybe I'm the only one that noticed since we must be stupid Americans.
More things are acting up on this computer now, don't think anyone will hear from me for a while until it gets repaired. I'm so happy today!
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Has anyone purchased a Dell computer lately
Well one guy at Dell, his name is Sean Alvarez (sp?) is good to his word. He did send me a disk for loading music for some reason, haven't figured out why (sent it next day via DHL).
He did send a new pre-loaded hard drive. It was supposed to take about 3 days. Well this morning(next day) a local guy called and picked it up from DHL at the airport and came to my office and replaced the hard drive. He works for an agency that has the Dell service contract for the Eastern half of Michigan. Turns out I knew him from a previous job about 15 years ago. He was a shop lead man on night shift at this company that we both worked for.
So, I got a new hard drive. I have to reload everything all over again. Still working on that, it will take a day or so. He took the old drive with him. This is the first time I've had a problem with a Dell and I've purchased atleast a dozen or more over the past few years. Remember, one awe shXt wipes out all atta-boys.
The conflicting firewall thing is a real problem. McAfee actually has two of them and one Microsoft. I turned off the Microsoft and dance around the McAfee thing that comes up every reboot to load itself. You can't get rid of the McAfee since it turned itself on all by it self. You can't remove it since it is embedded in the computer's security system. So what happens after 90 days? Do I crash and burn!!
I can access websites and write on TP but still can't receive or send e-mails. Dell thinks there is a problem with our host but the Dell 25 feet away with my web addresses, etc. is working (sending and receiving)fine.
I'm also interested in JasonR's comments of his engineering staff. Are you using AutoCad or some other software. We're thinking of going to either SolidWorks or SolidEdge for modeling purposes, particularly to read customer's files mostly Unigraphics files. For my work, 2D has always been enough. Some customers have SolidEdge and others Works. Don't know if they will read each others.
I've got several customers that use only modeling for their castings, etc. It is hard to come up with the tooling fixtures. Just got an aerospace job to fixture a large detail from a Unigraphics model. We're trying to get .dxf files readable in AutoCad.
If anyone out there in the TP world is familiar with either of the SolidWorks or SolidEdge programs I'd like your input.
Thanks for all your previous help and comments.
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Has anyone purchased a Dell computer lately
I also have a Sony Vaio notebook with 16" screen, 2.4Ghz, 30GbHD with 512MB SDRAM and Radeon 32MP graphics chip. I've had it several years now and it works great. I never get away from work so it goes everywhere with me.
I once had a locally made computer with all the latest stuff and it was a dog and always errored out. Something was conflicting and they could never get it right.
My Dell is a dimension 5150.
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Has anyone purchased a Dell computer lately
The latest is I got my computer running, office loaded and internet working. I haven't even bothered trying to load AutoCad yet. I can't even send an e-mail to anyone within my business since it thinks it is a worm. It shows as sent but it don't. It doesn't even raise a flag.
If I correspond by e-mail back and forth through the reply method after a couple of replys it thinks it is spam and blocks sending the message. However, it still lets a whole bunch of spam in and even brackets it as spam.
Have found that I can uninstall McAfee by going through all sorts of BS. Not going the usual MicroSoft uninstall method. This will be done soon.
Every now and then it stays in caps lock mode even though the light shows it as off. If I reboot several times it will work.
Kinda like last night I was watching TV via a cable channel. We have 2 TV's hooked up to cable in different rooms. On one TV about 3 channels were coming in, in Spanish except for commercials. The other room everything was fine. This is America, English is our ownly language. Where is the German language channel and where is the WET to mirror the BET?
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Has anyone purchased a Dell computer lately
I originally started this post and had problems and was really,really ticked-off. Since then, I put my own parallel printer port on, got rid of McAfee (that was hell since it had control of my computer) and they installed a new Hard drive (lost days of work) after it crashed. That was a few months ago. I didn't even use it for several months in fear it would crash. It is ok now and am using it for CAD work. Got a free virus search and have had no trouble since. Hope your troubles iron out as they did for me. Will definitely rethink another Dell purchase before automatically going to them as done in the past.
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Has anyone purchased a Dell computer lately
Since all of my bitching from several years ago, everything has been running smooth with the Dell. Don't plan on getting another computer in the near future, since I don't want to change from Windows XP. I hear VISTA is a nightmare!
My next problem coming up is that my AutoCad Release 2005 is being retired, so I'm upgrading to 2008. I'm told HP hasn't offered printer drivers for the older plotters like my 350C and 650C that are compatible with ACAD 2006 and newer. So, it looks like I gotta spend $4,500.00 on a new plotter along with my software upgrades.
Just have to keep spending money to keep current if I want to or not. Don't really see the benefits of the new software but compatibility with my customers is crucial.
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Has anyone purchased a Dell computer lately
Yes that is true but such a PITA. Many times the switchback to an older version drops out stuff and is not 100% reliable.
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Has anyone purchased a Dell computer lately
Yes, the proper term of the plotter is an inkjet printer. Mine inkjet printer plots from either 24" or 36" roll sheets. The term plotter which was used in the past is still frequently used to describe a wide format printing device used primarily to plot engineering drawings.
There is nothing wrong with the unit but no longer being software supported since this is a through away society were nothing should last nor be used beyond a couple of years.
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